Woman fired after employer decides she 'might get pregnant'

A woman in Germany has been dismissed by her employer because they believed she 'might get pregnant' following her engagement.

The 35-year-old was given compensation of €10,800 (£9,100) by the Dusseldorf district court, after she pursued legal action for discrimination.

According to Bild newspaper (via The Local), the employee received an email with the subject line 'career vs family planning' after she requested more working hours and revealed she was getting married.

The employer wrote: "For a woman of your age, it is 'normal' to become pregnant and have children.

"We celebrate every new person in the world, but must take consideration of our business concerns.

"We would be happy to embark upon the 're-establishment' of our business in Dusseldorf - but that will obviously not work if you are absent in 2012 due to a pregnancy."

She was then asked about the likelihood of her getting pregnant in the future, before getting fired after a series of meetings.